ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team suffered its third Sunshine State Conference loss of the season on Saturday, falling to Eckerd 3-1 (25-22, 27-29, 25-15, 25-19) on the road. The loss puts the Eagles at 9-5 overall and 3-3 in the SSC, while Eckerd moves to 10-4 overall and 2-4 in the league.
The first half of the first set was close and a service ace by
Sierra Scanlan gave ERAU a 13-12 edge. A 9-2 Triton run gave the home team a 21-16 lead and although the Eagles were able to cut the lead to two (22-20), Eckerd was able to take the set 25-22.
The Eagles took a commanding eight-point (19-11) lead in the second set prompting an Eckerd timeout. Following the break, the Tritons went on an 8-1 run to tie the score at 20-20. Eckerd scored four of the next six points to lead 24-22, but the Eagles were able to stave off two set points and knot the score again at 24-24. From that point a back-and-forth battle ensued until a
Jaden McBride kill and a
Jenna Bishop solo block gave the Eagles the two points they needed to win the set.
The Eagles struggled to get their offense going in the third, managing just eight kills. The Tritons, on the other hand, hit .310 and won the set 25-16.
Eckerd opened the fourth frame with a 5-1 run and never looked back. The Eagles narrowed the gap to two (12-10), but another Triton run quickly extended the advantage to 10 points (22-12). The Blue and Gold outscored the Tritons 7-3 to end the set, but it was not enough to overcome the early Triton advantage and Eckerd sealed the overall victory with a 25-19 win in the fourth.
McBride led the Eagles with 13 kills and 15 digs, while
Cameron Gilleland finished with 10 kills and 13 digs.
Devyn Petrowski finished with 29 assists and a career-best 12 digs.
The Eagles are back in the ICI Center on Tuesday to host Rollins at 7 p.m. in another SSC battle.
The 2022 Embry-Riddle volleyball season is presented by Radiology Associates.
